Black Panther claws your imagination with Wakanda and its never before seen African setup

A radical hero coming from a non-radical production house is always a much cherished idea. After 17 films spread across a decade, the Marvel cinematic universe has finally recognized a hero to whom a huge majority of the world’s population can relate to. Black Panther, the first ever black superhero film is finally here and we can’t get enough of it. If you think watching the film once can satiate your hunger for the magical yet technology driven world of Wakanda, you couldn’t have been more wrong.

Taking off from the UN bombing which killed T’Chaka, we see a new Black Panther crowned, T’Challa. Then unrolls his fight to keep Wakanda, one of the richest nations of the world a secret from the world and yet be able to forward the black fraternity, a cause ignored for generations.

The movie boasts of everything nice of a superhero flick albeit in a refreshing African setup. Be it the site of a ritual combat in cliffs or the twinkly blue allure of the Vibranium mine, the audience is captivated by the visualization. These come clubbed with AI driven cars and automobiles giving us Star War jitters. Every once in a while you are even treated to a God’s eye view of the country showing its majestic African beauty. The Guardian commented, “The film falls into the traditional Marvel third-act trap: for all the attack rhinos and the tribal factionalism, it’s still just a big, noisy CGI battle climax.”

Black Panther meticulously played by Bradwick Boseman under Ryan Coogler’s direction, stands for a royal bloodline empowered by the strongest metal in Marvel universe. He has no superhero powers but his sprite is provided by his kinetic energy absorbing panther suit much like Iron Man and Batman. However, unlike a morally wronged Batman, Black Panther stands tall morally. In one of his strongest scenes in the film, Boseman toys with vulnerability and strength to state what is right before his ancestors. The film altogether manages to say another origin story with a difference observed The Washington Post, “Although the comic-book-movie universe might not seem to need yet another origin story, this one possesses urgency and genuine propulsive interest most others lack.”

The female characters make all the difference to the content film which could have easily become another general superhero film albeit with the biggest black cast ever seen. Every time, Okoye played by Danai Gurira strikes her spear as the royal army general, her deep red lips brews her strength. Can’t wait to see her miniatures in the toy aisle giving Wonder Woman and Rey dolls a run for their money. In this regard, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia seems eclipsed. “Letita Wright’s Shuri deserves special mention here as the woman is beyond brilliant in every scene she appears in,” mentioned the Indian Express.

Black Panther tries to answer a few question as put together by Vox, “What responsibility does an African superhero owe a Western world that sold his ancestors into slavery? And what is Wakanda’s responsibility to the people it didn’t protect, but could have?” With a not so clear answer served at the end.

Black Panther serves to add to the momentum that is building up to the Captain America saga but in its standalone form, it could very well spin off a saga in its self. Wakanda, the hidden land of abundance still remains to be exploited by the outside world, cinematically at least. It gives you all the reason to never grow up for the titular Marvel comic universe.